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Fire Damages Northside Home

January 14, 2012

Fire caused approximately $20,000 damage to a single story home at 2106 Sheridan Drive this afternoon. Firefighters were called to the residence at 1:28 pm and were on scene two minutes later. They found a fire burning in a chimney chase on the side of the house. One crew extinguished the fire on the exterior of the home while a second crew inspected the home's attic. Heavy smoke was discovered in the attic. Firefighters pulled down some ceilings in the home to extinguish fire that had extended into the attic.

The fire was under control within ten minutes of the fire crews' arrival. No injuries were reported at the fire.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The National Fire Prevention Association and the Madison Fire Department offer these heating safety tips:

• Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment, like the furnace, fireplace, wood stove, or portable space heater.
• Have a three-foot "kid-free zone" around open fires and space heaters.
• Never use your oven to heat your home.
• Have a qualified professional install stationary space heating equipment, water heaters or central heating equipment according to the local codes and manufacturer's instructions.
• Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected every year by a qualified professional.
• Remember to turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.
• Always use the right kind of fuel, specified by the manufacturer, for fuel burning space heaters.
• Make sure the fireplace has a sturdy screen to stop sparks from flying into the room. Ashes should be cool before putting them in a metal container. Keep the container a safe distance away from your home.
• Test smoke alarms monthly.
• Install a carbon monoxide alarm on each level of your home.